


Ten Steps Backward

by caffeinatednightowl, Mirror_Verse



Series: Mirror-Verse [35]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Angst, F/M, Fights, Flirting, Jealousy, M/M, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-15
Updated: 2013-05-15
Packaged: 2017-12-11 23:30:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/804499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caffeinatednightowl/pseuds/caffeinatednightowl, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirror_Verse/pseuds/Mirror_Verse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Cas have a few things to work out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ten Steps Backward

**Author's Note:**

> Art made by [Nekoshojo.](http://nekoshojo.tumblr.com)

It’s was almost weeknight closing time for the Celestial Café as Dean walked through the door; he had just gotten off work and was looking forward to a few beers and a movie back at his place with his best friend—

When he spotted her sitting over by the bar, sipping a mocha and chatting up a busy Castiel.

Dean froze, door still half-open to the cool night air, watching. Whoever this blonde chick was, she seemed mighty interested in talking with Cas. _Flirting_ with Cas. And Cas—while he was busy trying to clean up behind the counter--was talking back every so often.

Dean clenched his hand into a fist as he let the door slam behind him.

That noise brought Cas popping up from behind the counter—and a smile to his face, as if he didn’t know what was going on. “Hello, Dean.”

The blonde clad in entirely too much black turned around, smirking as she saw him. “Oh, Hello, Deany-boy. Fancy seeing you around here.”

Dean wanted to gag as he walked up to her. “Meg.”

She continued to smile, slipping off the barstool. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Missed me?”

Dean couldn’t hide his disgust. “I didn’t realize you were still in town.”

“Well, I found out there were interesting things here after all, ain’t that right Clarence?” Meg looked back and winked at a perplexed Cas, causing a hot bubble of anger to rise in Dean’s chest. “Maybe I should stick around here more often—the places I could take you, cutie—”

“ _No,_ ” growled Dean, stepping between them so Meg couldn’t oogle up Cas anymore. “No, he’s not interested.”

“Really?” The corner’s of Meg’s mouth twisted into a smile, “Why don’t I ask Clarence about that—”

“I _said_ he’s not interested,” Dean yelled again, glaring at her with his best _Stop-Fucking-With-My-Best-Friend-Or-I-Will-Hurt-You_ eyes. “Now Cas and I have some stuff to do, so you’d better leave.”

Meg just chuckled, taking another long sip of her coffee. “Whatever you say, Dean-o. See you around.” With one last flirtatious wave to Cas ( _Fuck her, who did she think she was, fuck her—!)_ she _finally_ left the café.

“God,” Dean sighed. “Thought she’d never leave.” Turning back to Cas, he had hoped to see his best friend relieved that he had saved him from the talons of that tramp, but instead, he saw Cas storming off to the back room, apron in hand.

“Cas?” Dean followed him, watching as Cas wordlessly hung up the apron on a peg and grabbed his shoulder bag, walking out the backdoor without even a hint of acknowledgement. “Wait, Cas!”

It wasn’t until they were outside, Cas’s form framed by the pink setting sun, that Cas turned around to face him. “ _What,_ Dean?” glared Cas, taking Dean off guard.

“You tell me _what_.” Dean said right back, trying not to be hostile but it was pretty hard considering how much Cas was glaring at him. “What’s gotten into you?”

“What’s gotten into _me?_ ” yelled Cas, apparently oblivious to the people around them. “Why did you tell her to go away like that? We were just talking.”

“Just _talking?”_ Dean’s fingers unconsciously clenched into a fist. “Dude, I know you don’t really know her, but she was hitting on you like nobody’s business. I figured I’d better tell her to get lost before you did something stupid like agree to a date with her or something.”

Dean knew he’d said the wrong thing when Cas’s blue eyes widened, nearly crackling electricity in their ferocity. He threw out his arms in exasperation. “Why do you _always_ have to do that, Dean? I’m getting _sick_ of it!”

“Do _what?”_

“I am _perfectly_ capable of telling people when I’m not interested by myself, Dean!” Cas started to walk away, down the nearest alley, but Dean was not about to let him go. He followed, continuing on his tirade.

“Yeah, but she was gonna ask you out! And you didn't say anything--!"

“For your information, she hadn’t done anything other than talk with me and as long as I was on my shift and she was a paying customer, I wasn’t about to throw her out—!”

“Well, _maybe you should!”_ Seething, Dean continued, “Or what, if she had asked you out, would you have considered it?”

“I don’t know, _”_ snarled Cas, whirling around to face him in the narrow alley,“Maybe I would’ve. What would you have done about it?”

And that hurt any more than Cas’s scolding ever could.

His frown was lost now—lost as his mouth fell open in a disbelieving gasp. “What…you actually…”

“I don’t know,” Cas tucked his hands into his pockets. “Since you didn’t give me a chance to consider.”

“Wait…” Dean stepped forward, reaching toward Cas as if begging, begging it wasn’t true, “Would you actually have…”

Cas turned away, frowning, “I’m not a _child_ , Dean, I can make my own choices. Some of them don’t concern you.”

 _No no no no_ , it was the wrong thing to say, Dean knew it, but he was seeing red and he couldn’t just leave that hanging and— “Yeah, well, maybe you _should_ go out with the sleezy stoner Meg! Why don’t you go be her bitch for a night for all I care! You think you’re such a big boy, fine! I don’t give a crap who you fuck, I bet that whole asexual thing of yours is just an act, too, you horny bastard—“

_Wham!_

Dean found himself slammed up against the brick wall of the alleyway, Cas’s hands balled in his jacket. Cas’s eyes were narrow, menacing, and yet he didn’t hurt him.

“I’ve told you before I’m not asexual, Dean,” Cas growled, low and pissed. “You may be my best friend, but sometimes I get really _sick_ of your shit.”

Dean couldn't look Cas in the eye, and focused on a spot on the ground. He said nothing; it didn't matter if Cas decided to punch his lights out, Cas was  _wrong_ and Dean knew it. Fucking Meg. Fucking _Cas!_

And despite it all, despite how angry Dean was, despite how much he wanted to grab Cas and yell at him to listen...he could do nothing but just stand there, taking his punishment. 

Cas did let him go, and Dean slumped against the wall, stunned, and could only watch as Cas turned on his heel and walked away. Despite everything he wanted to say, all he could get out was, “Where are you going?” _I brought the Impala…we were gonna go back, get some pizza, watch a movie…_

“I’ll take the bus home,” said Cas, not even stopping as he walked away, leaving Dean only able to watch as his best friend disappeared around the corner.

Dean Winchester knew he fucked up everything he ever wanted, and the one thing he had tried so hard to keep--he had fucked up again. 


End file.
